Walt Disney World

Moved – Big Hero 6 Pressed Penny Set now at Epcot

/ davidscointravels / Leave a comment

Flashback to 2014 when Disney released a new animated movie  called Big Hero 6.  It is not one of my favorite movies, but the story is interesting and who doesn’t like Baymax.  That same year there was a set of pressed pennies placed in the Magic of Disney Animation building at the Hollywood Studios theme park.

I remember years ago there used to be a show where an animator would walk the audience through how to draw certain Disney characters.  At the end of each show there was one lucky audience member that would get the drawing from the animator, but I was just never that lucky.  More recently this was a meet and greet area where at one point you could meet Baymax and Hiro from Big Hero 6.

Near this meet location was where the original penny press machine was located in a nice wood grace cabinet.

A short time after this machine was made available the Magic of Disney Animation building closed down as it was being redesigned as the Star Wars Launch Bay.  During this closure the Big Hero 6 penny machine was nowhere to be found.  Then in 2015 the machine showed up.

This time it was back in the Muppet’s Courtyard at the Pizza Planet quick service restaurant.  During this time Pizza Planet was a bit of a dumping ground for penny machines and I believe the Big Hero 6 was the fifth or sixth machine there.  But that wouldn’t last long as Pizza Planet got closed down not too longer after.  This closed down so it could be redesigned as PizzeRizzo’s, and this penny set disappeared again for almost two years.

Flash forward to 2017, and I read online that this missing machine thought to have been retired shows up in Epcot of all places.

In-between Spaceship Earth and the Fountain if you head towards The Land pavilion where Soarin’ is located you pass two Character Spot’s with meet and greets.

Once of these locations is where Innoventions West used to be and is now where you can meet Joy and Sadness from Pixar’s Inside Out.  Also in here is Baymax (no Hiro anymore for some reason).

   

Just inside the doors to this Character Spot is where the penny machine can be found.  The cabinet has been repainted.

But the designs are still exactly the same.

The images on these coins include Baymax, Hiro, and Fred all with the BH6 logo on them.  It’s took bad they didn’t issue different designs when they brought back this machine.  But with all the movement this machine has had I’m sure there are a lot of people who weren’t able to press these coins the first few times it was available.

I hate to mention this but, there are a lot of changes coming to Epcot over the next few years.  This character spot is in a location that seems to be unrecognizable in the concept art that Disney has released.  This is a nice place for the machine, but who knows how long these designs will be here.  Go get them before they disappear again.

Click here to see my YouTube channel video on this move and the designs.

Secret Pressed Penny at Epcot

/ davidscointravels / 8 Comments

A few years ago during a family vacation to Walt Disney World I had been spending a lot of time in Epcot repressing a lot of pennies to update my collection.  As a kid I always hated our days in Epcot as they were too “Educational”, but as I got older I appreciated Epcot a lot more.  Just this past weekend was the 35th anniversary of Epcot and the crowd fans really showed some love for this sometimes under appreciated park.

Now on this trip I found myself in the France Pavilion and noticed a strange thing about the penny machine that is located inside the Souvenirs de France.  This is where the Patisserie and gift shop are located in the back of the pavilion.

Notice anything strange about the marquee above?  It only shows two designs as being available.  On another trip prior I knew there had been three designs so I knew something was up.  I pressed the two designs, and watched closely to the design die in the machine as it slowly spun.  Sure enough I could see three designs, but how could I get the machine to press this mysterious design.

I tried asking around but didn’t get anywhere.  Once back home after our trip was over I reached out to some fellow collectors and searched google of course but couldn’t find anything.  Then eventually on one of my eBay searches for Disney coins (I do this from time to time to see if any older coins become available) and found a design I hadn’t seen before.  The description of the item said it was from the France Pavilion in Epcot and I realized this was the Secret Penny.  Thankfully I won the auction and filled the hole in my collection.  But even thought I had the coin in my possession I still wanted the change to try to acquire this coin in person.  After even more research I found out just how to do it.  Would you like to play a game?

On the walkway leading into the World Showcase you will find the above Headquarters for the Agent P World Showcase Adventure.  Who is Agent P?  Well there was a show on Disney Junior called Phineas and Ferb, two smart young boys that don’t want to waste their summer vacation.  They create some crazy schemes with their friends that always work out for them, but drive their sister Candace crazy as she is always trying to bust them.  The family also has a pet Platypus named Perry, who they are unaware is actually a Spy named Agent P that is always up against the evil Dr. Heinz Doofenshmirtz.

After you speak with the cast member at the game headquarters they will let you know that the game is played on your smart phone (or they will supply a classic flip phone if you prefer).  There are different missions available at various country pavilions in the world showcase.  For the secret penny as I mentioned above you need to play the mission that takes place in France.

   

I headed over to France and stood by the fountain outside the Chef de France restaurant and clicked “ok” on my phone to start the mission.  Each mission has various assignments that need to be completed in different areas of the pavilion.  These assignments you need to complete and even the order they happen can change each time you play.  So be prepared as the specific assignment for the secret penny may not always be part of your mission (but you can keep playing until it does).

The task that you need to be on the look out for is called “A Penny for your Evil Thoughts”.  As soon as I saw the assignment codename I knew I was on the right track.  The story of this task is that Dr. Doofenshmirtz has a secret hide out and wants to give you the code to access it.  But first he needs your help, as he is on a date and wants to impress his date by leaving a large tip.  He has created a machine called the Pennyinator that takes pennies and turned them into larger currency.  Time to head into the gift shop.

Once inside he then tells you to speak with the cast member standing at the nearby counter and tell them “I’m from maintenance; I need a penny to test the Pennyinator”.

The cast member will happily give you a free penny to use in the machine (or if you are like me and keep pre-1982 pennies in your pocket you can use that instead).

   

Next the game will tell you to find the machine in the back of the store, your phone will energize the machine and you can insert your penny.  No quarters required.  The machine will start rolling and before you know it your Secret Penny drops out.

The design is of Agent P, and says Doofenshmirtz Evil, Inc 3390.  The 3390 is the code needed to access the secret hideout and eventually finish the game which also has a really cool ending.  After I had the coin in hand I really thought this was a unique way to use the penny press machines.

As I mentioned previously you can find this coin for your collection from time to time on eBay as that’s what I initially did.  But the Agent P game is really pretty entertaining if you have the time to play during your vacation.  Each mission takes about 30-45 minutes depending on how quickly you complete the assignments.  Sure you can just buy one, but it is a cool little in park easter egg that is fun to uncover for yourself.

Click here to see my YouTube channel video on this Secret Penny.

Princess and the Frog NEW Penny Sets – Port Orleans French Quarter Resort

/ davidscointravels / Leave a comment

This has been a busy weekend.  Saturday night I was getting myself prepared for a Epcot’s 35th anniversary the following day, hoping the crowds would be light, but knowing deep down they would be crazy.  During my prep for what march I wanted to pick up, or what ride I wanted to visit for nostalgia purposes when I suddenly got notification of not just one but two new penny machines.  It’s been a slow few weeks with no new pressed coins being released so when I found out about these new designs I hopped in my car to press some pennies.

My destination was the Port Orleans French Quarter resort.  When I showed up at the resort it was early evening but the Florida sky had opened up and was raining down some of the biggest drops I’ve ever seen.  I parked in the guest lot right outside the main lobby building, and once inside headed towards the registration area.

On the opposite wall from where you would check-in as a guest of the resort (and also next to the bell service desk) was the first machine.

This was a three design electric machine with images of Princes Tiana, Prince Naveen, and Ray the Firefly.  After pressing my set I walked across the lobby, past the water fountain and towards the Sassagoula Floatworks and Food Factory (cafeteria).

As mentioned above this is the main cafeteria / food court for this resort.  It’s always a busy place, and the smell of beignets floating through the air is intoxicating.  Just as you enter this area the second penny machine is just around the corner.

To change things up a bit this is a four design hand crank machine.  The set available here is a continuation of the set I had just collected.

The designs are of Princess Tiana, Tiana & Naveen as Frogs, Louis the Alligator, and a couple Mardi Gras Masks.  I really enjoyed these new Princess and the Frog pennies as this is a movie that I think is a little underrated.  Being released back in 2009 right in the middle of all the fancy CG Pixar movies, this was a refreshing change back to my childhood and the old hand drawn animation.

As I sit here thinking about any other coins from this movie there is only one that comes to mind from Castle Couture in the Magic Kingdom of Tiana.  It’s about time some more designs showed up for this entertaining movie.  Before leaving I fell for the siren song of beignets and picket up a few for the road.  My Princess and the Frog experience was complete for tonight with mouth full of powdered sugar.

Click here to see my YouTube channel video on these new designs.

Pin Stand / Last Ride on Ellen’s Energy Adventure – Epcot

/ davidscointravels / Leave a comment

With all the new changes announced to the Walt Disney World theme parks, fans are still trying to digest all that is coming and changing over the next few years.

One of the parks getting a pretty huge make over is Epcot.  Older rides are closing to make way for new ones, murmurs of a new country pavilion are still going on.  But one of the biggest changes appears to be right behind Spaceship Earth (The big golf ball).  In this location there is a pretty big water fountain that put on a show every hour or so.  Based on some concept art Disney released it looks like this entire area is changing and the founding is moving closer towards the World’s Showcase.  So why am I telling you this, well it has to do with some penny machines.  In this area of the park there were two buildings Innoventions East and Innoventions West.

The interactive experiences they place inside these builders were always chasing and to be honest never really that great, but they each had a penny machine inside.  Now with these new changing coming it appears these buildings are going away.  So what does that mean for the penny machines.  Usually they may just go away and not come back, but just recently these machines were removed, given a fresh paint job and were relocated.

This may be another temporary location for these machines, but for now they can both be found at the Pin Trader Stand near the Electric Umbrella quick service restaurant.

The designs in both these machines are unchanged, just the cabinets are a different color.

The first machine has images of Mickey’s Face, Phineas & Ferb, Figment, and Agent P.

The second machine is on the opposite side of the Pin Station.

The images on this second set include Spaceship Earth with a Goofy Hat and Clothes, Agent P, Phineas & Ferb playing Guitars, and Duffy Bear.

As I mentioned these designs have not changed, so if you already have these from their original locations in the Innoventions buildings no really need to get these again.  I wanted to just give an update of where these machines can now be found.  Also I’m happy to see that Disney didn’t just do away with them but instead moved them around.  The more penny machines available the better.  As more of the parks start to go under constructions we will have to see what happens to the machines.  Hopefully this is the trend to just move them around instead of getting rid of them.  Plus with all these new attractions coming soon that can only mean a lot more new machines and designs.

While I was at the park I decided to head over and take one last ride on Ellen’s Energy Adventure at the Universe of Energy building.  During the D23 Expo this year it was announced this attraction would close to make way for a new Guardians of the Galaxy adventure.

For those of you that may not have been on this attraction, Ellen has a dream sequence where she is on Jeopardy and is losing to her arch nemesis from college Stupid Judy.  The questions are all about Energy and she is losing pretty bad until her neighbor Bill Nye the Science guy stops by to help her on an adventure through time to learn about Energy.  When you first enter the building you are in a big room with very few benches along the walls, but you are encouraged to stand in the middle of the room to watch the first part of the movie.

Eventually after the first movie segment is over you move into the next room which has these large slow-moving vehicles.  Once inside the next part of the movie starts and the vehicles eventually start moving into another room which transforms you back to the age of the dinosaurs.

This is really the best part of this whole attraction and I wish there was a fastness or something that let you skip right into this area.  The movie segments are not that great and were definitely dated.  But these animatronic dinosaurs are still awesome to see and pass by as the attraction continues.  Eventually you movie into another couple of rooms each with additional video segments completing Ellen’s dream where she comes back to the Jeopardy set and mops the floor with Stupid Judy.

As the lights came up and we exited the vehicles for the last time I was glad I got to ride it one last time but was not overly broken up about the fact it was going away.  This ride was definitely dates and with almost a 45 minute beginning to end time this can be quite time-consuming for what you get.  The rumors are going crazy about the new attraction but only time will tell.

These next few years will definitely be exiting with all the new attractions and lands coming to Florida and I can only hope this means more pressed coin machines are on the way.

Winter Summerland Mini-Golf – WDW, FL

/ davidscointravels / Leave a comment

Since I’m on the topic of Mini-Golf this month I figured why not go check out the second set of courses available at the Walt Disney World resorts.  Located near the parking lot of the Blizzard Beach water park is my favorite of the courses available here, Disney’s Winter Summerland Miniature Golf.

The story behind this course is it’s where Santa and his elves relax in their off-season.  Getting here can be a bit difficult if you don’t have a car, but you can take a resort bus to Blizzard Beach and just a short walk from the water park entrance you can get to the mini-golf courses.  It has its own separate fee to play, so you do NOT need to have water park admission.  As you walk up from the parking lot you are first greeted by Santa’s camper with a  familiar looking sleigh hitched up to it.

This camper is where you pay your admission, get your clubs and score card before deciding which of the two courses you want to play.  To the left is the Summer course with some very cool designed playing fields for each hole.

Sometime it can be link a Where’s Waldo just to figure out where the actual target hole is.  But the colors and obstacles on these courses are really just a lot of fun.

The large candy canes throughout area a nice touch, and the Christmas decorations just add to the story of Santa’s summer retreat.

Each hole gets progressively more difficult but nothing impossible and children of all ages can have a great time here.

Every time I see this sand castle I think it looks like it will just blow over in the wind or melt away in the Florida afternoon showers.  Have you ever seen a mini-golf course with this type of detail?  It’s really amazing.

Eventually both courses end in the middle which is where Santa has a big Christmas tree all decked out and lots of left over presents just lying around.  After playing the last hole you end up back at the camper to turn in your clubs.  Or if you have time why not try the second course.

To the right is the Winter course which is my personal favorite just to the unique theming.  Plus since I’m originally from Canada this is one of the few places I can see Snow and Ice in Florida.

I love the above hole on this course, it’s themed like an ice-covered pond setup for a hockey game.  Ahh takes me back to when I was young, just in 98 degree weather with 1000% humidity.

Hmm this castle looks very familiar?  Still cool, and secretly thankful this hasn’t been converted into Elsa’s Ice Palace from the Frozen movie.  Knock on wood, please don’t change it Disney!

I should have mentioned earlier but each course does have 18 holes so this is not going to be a quick round of golf.  Plus these courses can get pretty crowded in the late afternoon or early evening.

As with the first course the final few holes meet in the middle right beside the Summer course where the Christmas Tree is located.  It’s under this covered building which can get a little crowded with the two courses converging together.  As you swing your club to send the ball into the final hole you head once again to the Camper.

As luck would have it right near the camper by the Restrooms of all places is a penny machine.

There are three designs available here which are just as unique as these mini-golf courses.  The images include an Ice Gator on Snow Skis, Donald building a Sandcastle with two Snowmen watching, and Mickey with a Surfboard & Minnie on a Beach Towel.

Just as with the Fantasia Mini-Golf you do not need to play either course to use the penny machine.  But due to the difficulty you may encounter trying to get here you may as well take a break from the parks and play a round or two it will be worth your while and a lot of fun.

Fantasia Gardens Mini-Golf – WDW, Florida

/ davidscointravels / Leave a comment

Some of my fondest vacation memories from my childhood are early evening games of mini-golf with my parents and sister.  None of us were particularly good, but just having fun as a family in the cooler evening hours is something that will stick with me for a long time.  In our original home of Ottawa Canada we had a few min-golf courses around town but they were really low quality, not even consisting of the common windmill obstacle.  The ones I really remember were in Florida, we would spot them as we drove in from the airport.  My dad would somehow make a mental note of where they were and we would try a new one almost every night.  The theming of these courses was just so beyond what we were used to it just added to the enjoyment of the experience.

On those days back when my sister and I were kids we never stayed on Disney Property but instead would be at a Howard Johnson in Kissimmee.  Due to this once we were done with the parks for the day we usually headed back to the hotel to do something near there.  I don’t know exactly when the Disney Mini-Golf courses first opened, but I first tried these courses out in 1997 when I took a trip after high school graduation.

Fantasia Gardens is located near the Swan and Dolphin Resort.  Unfortunately there is no directly transportation to the mini-golf course so you have to get creative if you don’t have a car.  Once you get to the area there are actually two separate courses here, Fantasia and the Fairway.  Fantasia as you can probably guess since we are at Disney has each hole designed around the Fantasia movie.

Each hole throughout the course slowly gets a little more difficult, but nothing too crazy.  They are all very reasonable for even the most casual of player of almost all ages.

Some of the holes have simple obstacles in the middle of a curing green, where others have some very interesting water hazards like the below.

Towards the end of the course you do get to finally see the Sorcerer’s Apprentice.

But be careful as you walk beneath the broomsticks with their buckets, if you don’t walk quick enough you may get a little shower of water.

The second course as I mentioned above is called the Fairway.  This is the more difficult of the two  courses.

Each hole is set up to imitate a regular golf course.  As you can see from the pictures above there are no rails along the side of the course, there are sands traps, and other water hazards.  But just take your time and have fun.

After you finish playing your course and turn in your golf club there is an arcade available near the entrance/exit.  There are sometimes long waits to play these courses.  I’ve gone a few times and been told that wait is over an hour to start.  The arcade is a great way to pass the time, but it’s not a big place and only has a few games inside.  As you can see there is also a penny machine crammed into one of the corners.

There are three designs here which have moved all around the property.  The images include Sorcerer’s Apprentice Mickey, Cinderella’s Step Mother and Sisters, and the White Rabbit from Alice in Wonderland.

I have played these courses a few times  and they can be challenging, but still fun to play.  Some younger children may find the Fairway course a little too hard, but as my mom always said it’s not weather you win or lose but how you play the game.  It’s all about having fun and making memories!

** Be sure to visit my YouTube channel by clicking here.  Once there click subscribe to be notified each time a new video goes up.

Changes to Once Upon a Toy Store – Disney Springs

/ davidscointravels / Leave a comment

The big toy store in Disney Springs known as Once Upon a Toy Store has been a haven in the past for penny press machines and at one point had 3 different machines.  However this store is currently going under some renovations and about two-thirds of the store is closed off.  Due to this two of the machines have moved from this location.

The first machine to move was an 8-Design Star Wars machine.  the designs are still the same but this machine is now located over at Epcot in the Mouse Gears store near the Star Wars merchandise.

The second 8-Design machine shown below was the second machine relocated just down the walkway still in Disney Springs in the World of Disney mega store.

With those two machines gone there was only one last machine still in the Once Upon a Toy store and had the same designs it’s had for quite a while.  Until just recently when these designs were changed out.

This is a 4 design hand crank machine located just inside the main entrance doors.

The images pressed on these coins included Mickey Mouse, Dory & Nemo, Buzz Lightyear, and a Little Green Man Alien.

This store has definitely been a starting point for some new pressed coins machines and I’m curious to see what happens once the entire store if reopened.  Will it get new machines or just have the other ones moved back.  Only time will tell, but I’m crossing my fingers for even more machines.

Click here to see my YouTube channel video on these new designs.

Space Mountain / Tomorrowland Light & Power Gift Shop – Magic Kingdom, FL

/ davidscointravels / Leave a comment

As a child my family took a couple of trips down to Florida and a couple to California to visit the various Disney parks.  Usually the vacations flip-flopped between a Disney vacation and what my sister and I affectionately called “Educational” vacations like the Grand Canyon, or a tiny town in upper Ontario Canada called Moosonee (check it out it does actually exist).  My sister has always loved thrill rides and I’ve mentioned in the past that they just weren’t my thing.  I already preferred It’s a Small World, or the Haunted Mansion as the most thrilling rides I could handle.  Every so often she would get me on Splash Mountain, but one ride that I always held out on was Space Mountain.

Photo credit: Disney Parks

This was for a few reasons, first was it’s a roller coaster and second it was in the dark.  As the years went on my sister kept trying to get me on, and this even continued up until a vacation together about two years ago as adults.  I still held out.

Just a few days ago a new penny machines was released in the Magic Kingdom, through Tomorrowland and right near Space Mountain.  It’s actually located in the Tomorrowland Light & Power Co. building which is the gift shop you exit through after riding Space Mountain.  Now if you are like me you do not need to ride this attraction in order to access the machine.  You just walk in to the gift shop and it’s towards the back of the store.  However on this trip I decided to do something I pledged I would never do, and try to ride Space Mountain.

The new machine is a touch screen 8-design model which are definitely becoming more popular within the parks of late.

As with similar machines the designs are pressed on penny sized token blanks.  This set was all themed around the coaster just next door.  Images on these coins include: Space Mountain Logo, Donald Duck, Mickey Mouse, Mickey/Donald/Goofy in Space Mountain Ride Car, Mike & Sully in Ride Car, Mickey & Minnie in Ride Car, Mickey in Spacesuit, and Space Mountain Chip & Dale.

This is a really cute set and I always like when they incorporate an attraction at the parks.  This machine does replace the 3 design quarter press machine that used to be in this store.  The other two machines (4 Design Penny Press, and 4 Design Dime Press) are still here for now.  After pressing these coins I decided to head back home.  Oh you wanted to know if I made it on the ride?

That’s me in the middle seat.  It wasn’t as bad as I thought and was actually pretty fun.  I don’t know if I would want to ride it by myself again (the other guys with me were single riders as well) but next time my sister is in town I’ve got a big surprise for her.

Click here to see my youtube channel video on this new machine.

Tower of Terror 8-Design Machine – Hollywood Studios, FL

/ davidscointravels / Leave a comment

** In additional to this website I’ve decided to add even more content for everyone to check out.  Be sure to visit my YouTube channel by clicking here.  Once there click subscribe to be notified each time a new video goes up.

Also follow me on Instagram at instagram.com/davidscointravels
————

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, the Tower of Terror scares me and I get uncomfortable even going near it.  I’m a fan of the original Twilight Zone TV show, but the thought of being sat inside an elevator car and being dropped numerous times down the elevators shaft is not my idea of fun.  Walking anywhere near that area of Hollywood Studios I can just hear the screams coming from the ride and just shake my head.  But I know that this has a huge following, and there are a lot of people who truly enjoy that experience.

Usually I just try to stay away from this area of the park but one day I received a note that a new 8-Design penny (sized token) machine was place in the gift shop of the Hollywood Tower Hotel.  I psyched myself up and headed over to the park.  Now I will say right up front I did not ride the Tower of Terror, thankfully you can access the coin machines without having to ride.

If you are like me and would prefer to avoid the ride then you can just walk past the queue line entrance and you will eventually see the gift shop exit/entrance.  They do have some cool Tower of Terror themed merchandise in here, and there is a lot of Stitch stuff too for some reason.  Towards the back of the gift shop near where the photo preview area where riders can see their terrified faces as they drop down the elevator shaft.

I apologize for the dark photo above of the machine, this area is really dark inside and with the bright light of the marquee makes taking pictures here pretty difficult.  This was the best of the bunch I tried to take.  As I mentioned earlier this is another 8-Design penny sized token machine.  One design is $1 or all eight for $5.

These are all themed around the Hollywood Tower Hotel and includes designs of: Bellhop Goofy, Bellhop Mickey, THE Bellhop, Bellhops Chip & Dale, Hollywood Tower Hotel Key, Est 1917, Bellhop Stitch, and Bellhop Donald.

As I used the machine to press my sets I could hear groups of people checking out their pictures behind me laughing and truly having a good time.  As much as that ride terrifies me there are people who can’t wait to experience it.  My niece is 5 years old and loves this ride, I’m worried she will try to drag me on the next time she comes for a visit.  If Disney decides to move a new penny machine into the queue of the ride may be the only way I attempt going on this attraction.  But for now I’m glad the penny machines are available to all visitors regardless of how much of a chicken they are.

Click here to see my YouTube channel video on this new machine.

Celebrity 5 & 10 – Hollywood Studios, FL

/ davidscointravels / Leave a comment

As I’m sure everyone is already aware of, majority of Hollywood Studios is under construction.  Within a few years this place will be completely transformed with Toy Story Land and Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge (Disney confirmed name).  But for now there are quite a few attractions still available, but construction scrim are all over the place.

A few weeks ago I visited this park with my family for a quick afternoon visit and hit up a few rides, checked out a few penny existing penny machines and headed back home.  The very next day I received a note that a new machine was just released.  What terrible timing since I had just been there.  While at work I quickly checked the Disney app on my phone and was able to get a Toy Story Midway Mania Fastpass.  This was the bribery I used with my daughter to have her accompany me back to the park for a very quick trip.

I barely got the words out of my mouth before my daughter was putting on her sneakers and heading out to the car.  We drove over to the park, rode her original favorite ride the Tram to and from the parking lot.  After getting into the park we went right back to the Toy Story ride and had a great time on it.  My daughter is still trying to master the cannon style thing you use to interact with the midway games.  We haven’t broken any point records yet, but it’s still fun to see how excite she gets when we are waiting in the queue and then while on the ride.  I was really trying to keep this as a quick trip since Hanna had school the next day and I had work (boo).  So we headed back towards the front of the park but still had one quick stop to make.

Located right on Hollywood Boulevard towards the entrance/exit to the park is a store called Celebrity 5 & 10.

Inside is your standard Disney souvenir shop.  Mugs, Candy, T-Shirts, etc fill this entire place.  Quick tip for the hot Florida summer days, this place (and all other gift shops) offer Free Air Conditioning.  I always see people walking around the parks that look like they are about to pass out due to the heat.  Make sure to take some time throughout your trip and just walk through the gift shops to cool off.  I know the fancy things inside can be tempting, but make sure you keep cool.  It will make your trip that much more enjoyable.

Just inside the door that would be closes to the entrance/exit of the park is where the new penny-sized token machine was located.  This is another 8-design touch screen model.  I’ve mentioned in the past that they do accept, cash, credit cards, and mobile payments like Apple Pay or Google Wallet.  You do not get to supply your own coins, but instead the machine will press the designs on tokens.

As you can see from the above the tokens come out very similar to a penny sized pressing.  They are also very shiny, but much like my stainless steel microwave, collects fingerprints very easily.  The designs available at this machine include: Mickey & Pluto, Goofy, Apprentice Mickey with Fantasia Dragon, Donald with a Parrot, Pluto, Minnie with a long Boa, Chip with a Movie Clapboard, and Movie Director Mickey.

This was a nice unique set of designs that goes back to the initial theming of the Hollywood Studios park.  Being a Star Wars fan I love the new coins that have been coming out, but between that and Frozen there are a lot of coins out there that seem very similar to each other.  These were nice new designs that make a nice additional to the collection.  It’s nice to see new machines still making their way over to Hollywood Studios.  I probably wouldn’t spend as much time here if it weren’t for the machines.  But that will all change when these new lands start opening up.

Click here to see my YouTube channel video on this new machine.